Securing the deal with Summit also fills an important slot in Imax’s 2010 slate, the Fourth of July holiday sesh.

Imax releases for next year include Warner Bros.’ “Alice in Wonderland” (March 5); two titles from DreamWorks Animation/Paramount, “How to Train Your Dragon” (March 26) and “Shrek Forever After” (May 21); as well as Warners’ Christopher Nolan-directed “Inception” (July 16).

“Eclipse” will be the first Summit title to be released in Imax theaters.

Execs from Imax and Summit said seeing “Eclipse” in Imax will provide fans of the franchise with a different, more immersive experience than they get in conventional theaters and put them “in” the movie.

The first two films in the “Twilight” franchise have been outsize successes. “Twilight” grossed $380 million in combined domestic and foreign box office, while “New Moon” has hit $500 million worldwide in only three weeks.

“Eclipse,” directed by David Slade, centers on the struggle between vampires and werewolves.